Community Scholarship Program

The Community Scholarship Program (CSP) provides scholarship funding for up to 60 credit hours toward a technical certification and/or an associate degree at West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

The Rotary Club of Paducah initiated the idea for the CSP as a public-private partnership with strong participation from the Rotary, the city of Paducah, McCracken County Fiscal Court, partnering high schools, and West Kentucky Community and Tecnical College.

Students from all participating Paducah and McCracken County high schools who enroll by October 1 of their high school freshman year and meet the high school performance guidelines will be eligible to receive this gap funding scholarship.

The CSP scholarship will pay the balance of tuition not paid by federal, state, and other scholarship grants for which a student is eligible.

Enroll full-time at WKCTC beginning the fall semester immediately following high school graduation.

Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA during the first year at WKCTC in order to qualify for CSP scholarship during 2nd year at WKCTC.

Enroll (2nd year) at WKCTC for the fall semester immediately following completion of the first college year.

CSP scholarship awards will apply each semester at WKCTC (after approval for any federal, state, or other scholarship grants for which the student is eligible) up to five consecutive semesters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can a student enroll after October 1 of freshman year of high school?

A: Yes. If a student did not enroll during freshmen year of high school, they can enroll late at a prorated gap funding amount. Students who enroll late will be funded at the following percentage of gap amounts:

10th Grade — 75%

11th Grade — 50%

12th Grade — 25%

Q: Can a CSP funding be used for summer courses?

A: No. Students can apply for financial aid to help with summer coursework.

Q: Can CSP funding be used for dual credit courses?

A: No. These courses are typically offered at a discounted rate.

Q: How do I know if my child is enrolled and making progress?

A: You can always contact our office to confirm enrollment. We will need to know the child's full name, date of birth, and high school. Our office sends progress updates to students once a year to students. Students who are identified as at-risk of not meeting criteria, are informed of the criteria they are not meeting. Our staff will meet with these students at their high school.

Q: When enrolling at WKCTC, what is considered full-time?

A: CSP students must enroll in at least 12 credit hours each Fall and Spring Semester to be eligible for funding.

Q: Does CSP funding cover textbooks?

A: No, not at this time.

What are Students Saying?

“I think it is a great opportunity for those in the area. It is a financially sensible way to get a college education while being close to home. I would like to encourage students to keep up their high school GPA and make a good ACT score in order to receive extra financing for college.”
– Emily Perry • McCracken County High School

“CSP is an excellent way to allow students to further their education without worrying about finances.” – Cassie Arboleda • Paducah Tilghman High School

“This is a great way to start your college education. You can earn a degree before you transfer to a four year university.”
– Brian Johnson • St. Mary High School

“I would encourage others to participate because you never know what the future will hold. Anything can happen, good or bad. It’s wise to have as many opportunities as you can.”
– Shannon Eckelkamp • Community Christian Academy

Contact Us

Enrolling in the Community Scholarship Program DOES NOT commit a student to attending West Kentucky Community & Technical College. However, the scholarship is not awarded if a student does not attend WKCTC.

For more information or to enroll in the Community Scholarship Program contact: